Detergent material and process of making the same



Patented m. 9,193:

UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE i a" K. m 01' IABTOH, rmsrnvama, 588161103 '10 STERLING PRODUCTS comm, 820K, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01' PENNSYLVANIA nnmm mmm AND 230cm 0] nmo m sun:

In Drawing.

This invention relates to detergent material particularly adapted for removing grease, oil, printers ink, and stains of like nature particularly from fabrics. The object of the invention is to produce detergent material which will properly and efliclently remove grease, oil, etc., particularly from fabrics which will not be injurious and which will be economical, easy to manipulate, to ship,

I. and have other advantages which will be hereinafter referred to.

The principal reagents generally used for removing stains of the type under consideration were organic solvents such as benzol,

II gasolene, kerosene, alcohol, ether, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride. These solvents, ex-

cept carbon tetrachloride, are inflammable and involve fire hazard. Carbon tetrachloride, although non-inflammable, evaporates very readily and all the faster because, be-

ing a liquid, it spreads out almost instantly to expose evaporating surface. For this reason it is difiicult for an inexperienced operator to remove stains efiectively by the use of carbon tetrachloride without leaving an objectionable ring on the fabric, and even an experienced operator is likely to encounter a similar defect. Soap, the commonest detergent, while having many advantages as a 80 cleanser, does not satisfactorily remove stains of the character under consideration. Efforts to combine carbon tetrachloride with soap have not proven satisfactory, due largely to the fact that soap is insoluble in car 'bon tetrachloride and the difiiculties of obtaining a solution of the two materials were a too at.

I ave now discovered that if carbon tetrachloride can be converted from the liquid state to a jelly-like or to a somewhat solidified condition, it can be spread upon the fabric at the place where the stain appears, and will act on the grease, oil, etc., under conditions where rapid evaporation is retarded as a result of the physical condition of the carbon tetrachloride, with the result of completely removing the stain, while leaving the fabric free from discoloration or any such manifestations of the cleansing operation as the ring which is characteristic of the Application filed October 1, 1996. Serial R0. 189,013.

use of carbon tetrachloride liquid. In order to bring the carbon tetrachloride into the desired ellified condition, a special procedure is required. If carbon tetrachloride is mixed with red oil in about equal parts, and a caustic soda solution of about 30 B. is added to saponify the red oil, and the mixture is vigorously shaken in a test tube, the solution suddenly sets to a stiff jelly-like substance. When this condition is arrived at, a considerable quantity of carbon tetrachloride can be added without materially affecting the stifiness of the product or its physical properties. By proceeding in this manner a mate-- rial containing as high as 90% of carbon tetrachloride by weight can be obtained without loss of the jelly-like property of the substance. For commercial manufacture the procedure is obviously not carried out in a test tube, but in apparatusof dimensions suitable for commercial operation, and instead of shaking the mixture, appropriate agitating appliances are used. The apparatus is preferably coated with enamel or other substance which is unafiected by any of the ingredients introduced into or formed within the apparatus. The physical constitution of the final product is such that it is easily handled and capable of being put up in simple containers such as the conventlonal collapsible tubes from which it might be easily extruded in the required doses, and used as a stain remover is households, laundries, or wherever required. The ph sical property of the new material avoids a shipping difficulties such as are involved in transporting liquids, and the hazard of breakage is entirely absent. The material is non-inflammable and safe and will not injure the hands of the user. On the contrary, the new material is capable of as a detergent to be applied to the human 0 The new material, although apparently a combination of soap and of carbon tetrachloride, is in essence a jellified or semi-solidified carbon tetrachloride, at least it can be so regarded. The relatively small soap ingredient is in no sense objectionable, but assists in the cleansing function of the jelly. This new material seems to be more active than liquid carbon tetrachloride, and removes stains more rapidly and more efliciently, due perhaps to the function of the accompanying soa and to the better'adaptability of the jellified substance in entering upon the fibres aper for the loosened grease beneath the abric, while rubbing the stain with the jelly. When the thus treated grease spot is then treated with water, suds are formed and the remainder of the stain, not driven into the blotting paper, is emulsified and carried away with the wash water. By modifying the method of manufacture and using sodium silicate instead of caustic soda to saponify the red oil a hand paste of superior quality and excelient ase-removing pro erties may be obtain In that modification of the invention silica is precipitated as the red oil saponifies and this precipitate apparently 'ves just the proper amount of fine grit to effective as an abrasive element operating in conjunction with the detergent effect of the jelly substance. A product embodyin the present invention may also be obtaine by using potash olive oil soap of the proper c e mical and hysical properties and then combining car on tetrachloride with such soap. In this case, a combination apparently takes place only when the soft soap is first introduced into a mixer and thoroughly stirred or beaten, as for example by a big speed rapidly rotating propeller type of stirrer, and the carbon tetrachloride is then added a little at a time. Although at first no particular change is observable, after a time the material gives evidence of a combination taking place and a stiff jelly-like product is produced. Here again, tetrachloride as hi h as approximately can be added wit out changing the physical properties of the material.

In the foregoin description I have spoken of the necessity o roper chemical and physical properties of t e soft soap and these are important. The amount of free alkali, the amount of moisture, and the consistency of the soa are important factors, and if some particu ar soap does not respond to form the elly substance when subjected to the treatment heretofore described, the operator should modify the soap with respect to one or more of the factors referred to until he does achieve the jelly-like state in the final product.

Whether the results obtained are due to a chemical action or to an emulsifying process, has not yet been determined, although the indications are that a colloidal process is probably involved. This seems to be indicated by an experience encountered in one instance, where a large batch of material pr;-

pared in accordance with the red oil and caustic formula first referred to in this s cification was beaten and stirred very actively for a considerable riod of time without going over into the elly form. The mixture remained liquid. The batch of material gave every indication of representing a failure when, after all hopes of convertin it into the jelly form had been abandoned, the mixture suddenly, and ap arently without any reason, set up in je ly. This experience tends to indicate that the action is not so much a chemical action, but a hysical, probably a colloidal, action. 1th exact and painstaking su ervision, the jelly product can be uniform y obtained, and the experience referred to represents an exception encountered durin t e early development of the process and gefore the operators become sufiiciently experienced.

The new material is not only more effective and better than previously available detergents, but it is more effective on a wider range of stains, including grease, oil of animal or mineral origin, printers and mimeogragh inks, creams, etc. It removes stains made these materials more readily and thoroughly than any li uid cleanser known to me. It

may be safe y used on all types of washable fabrics, white, colored, and on clothin suits, and wearing apparel of practically a l descriptions.

The new material, when shaken or mixed with water, seems to emulsify immediately, forming a milk-like emulsion which holds up for hours. It is this emulsifying property in water which aids eatly in removing stains. The grease isoosened with the carbon tetrachloride and is then emulsified in the water, and carried out. For general purposes, as already explained, the method of application is to place a white blotter beneath the stain, apply the new cleansing material, and rub in well, preferably with a cloth. Allow to stand a few minutes and then wet with water under the spigot and rub up a sud b rubbing the. cloth together between the gers. Rinse well and the stain has disappeared.

For cleaning woolen suits, the process should be somewhat modified. Instead of wetting under the spigot, it should be sponged with a wet sponge and the suds finally sponged ofi. Excellent results are thus obtained. In some cases the new material has been able to remove old grease stains which had been ironed into the fabric and after all other attempts to remove had failed. An important use of the new material is for cleansing French cuffs and collars in the laundry. By applying the new material first and then washing by the usual method, excellent results will be obtained.

no I

The new material can be used as an addit OII t0 the suds baths in the wheel in commercial laun practice and advantageous results are tli eby obtained. However, the cost of such a procedure is at present too high to permit any wide-spread general commercial use of this kind, although for special occasions it may be so used.

When in the claims I mention carbon tetrachloride, I intend to include hin the purview of such term other known lvents which have similar properties and characteristics and which would function the same as carbontetrachloride in my jelly.

. I claim:

1. A detergent material in the form of a jelly, having fine grit distributed throughout its mass and comprising a thoroughly intermixed mass of material of which the major portion is carbon tetrachloride and the minor portion is a soap of the character which results from the treatment of red oil with an alkaline silicate.

2. A stable, fluid, detergent jelly comprising a major portion of carbon tetrachloride and a minor portion of a saponaceous material acting as the body of said jelly throughout which said solvent is distributed, said saponaceous material being present in the jelly insuflicient amount to function as a soap when the jelly is used for cleanin but less in amount than requisite to constitute a body of solid soap.

3. A stable, .fluid, detergent jelly comprising a saponified red oil containing more than 50% and up to approximately 90% of car- 6 bon tetrachloride.

4. The process of preparing a substantially stable fluid, jellIy-l-ike detergent which comprises thorough y mixing a saponifiable materialwith approximately an equal 40 amount of carbon tetrachloride, causing saponification of said saponifiable material with an alkaline solution to grocluce a soap which is substantially free om excess of alkali or acid, vigorously agitating the soap mixture to cause the formation of a jelly-like mass, and gradually adding further amounts of carbon tetrachloride to the jelly-like mass while continuing the said agitation until there is produced a stable, fluid jelly contain- 60 ing a major portion of said solvent and a minor "portion of the sa naceous material, the latter being present in suflicient amount to function as a soap when the jelly is used for cleaning but less in amount than requisite to constitute a body of solid soap.

5'. The process of forming a fluid, jellylike detergent which consists in mixing red oil and carbon tetrachloride together in approximately equal parts, adding a caustic soda solution of about 30 B. strength to the mixture of red oil and carbon tetrachloride until the red oil is completely sapon-ified, subj ecting the saponified mass to vigorous agitation to cause the formation ofa fluid jelly,

and gradually adding carbon tetrachloride my hand.

CHARLES M. FEHB. 

